Perhaps a Channel

Rock Lee kicked the shouting bandit to death with a single blow.

Perhaps because it was his first time killing someone, his thick brows furrowed slightly. But having long been taught at the Ninja Academy, he did not feel much about it.

"Everyone, be careful! He's a ninja—watch out for his ninjutsu!" one of the bandits wielding a samurai sword hurriedly warned the others.

Ninja could replace the samurai because they could unleash immensely powerful ninjutsu.

The bandits' expressions tightened as they rushed Rock Lee with their blades swinging wildly. Their eyes hardened. They had no choice but to fight.

They absolutely could not give him a chance to use ninjutsu. They had to engage him in close combat. He looked like nothing more than a twelve-year-old genin, so they still had a chance of surviving.

With that thought in mind, everyone charged at Rock Lee, engaging in close-quarters blade combat.

Unfortunately!

They had run into Rock Lee, who could not use ninjutsu in the first place. Their worries were useless and instead made the battle suit Rock Lee even better.

Fists, elbows, feet, knees!

Rock Lee turned his entire body into a weapon. His immense strength shattered ribs and crushed organs, sending the bandits flying one after another as they lost their lives.

This put Neji at ease. He turned his attention to the other side, watching Tenten fight while collecting the kunai he had thrown earlier.

Though they were wealthy, they still needed to clean up the traces of battle. It was also a good chance to retrieve the kunai.

The moment he shifted his attention over, he saw countless ninja tools fly from Tenten's scroll like a torrential rain of blossoms.

Well, there was nothing worth watching.

None of them could put up a fight. Though one samurai seemed somewhat capable and blocked a few attacks, when he could no longer hold on, he decisively dragged someone over to use as a shield.

There was no need to pay too much attention. Neji walked over to the leader's corpse and lightly lifted it.

After a few leaps, he descended from the valley and arrived before the convoy, tossing the leader's body from his hand.

Quite a few guards' expressions changed slightly as they moved away, while Mr. Nakata wore an expression of just as I expected, with a trace of ruthlessness in his eyes.

That made Neji regard him a little more seriously. It seemed this fellow was no simple character either.

"This is the bandit leader. My side has been dealt with, and my teammates have nearly finished handling the others."

Mr. Nakata's expression eased, and he quickly put on a smile as he praised them.

"As expected of Konoha's ninja. Truly impressive. It took so little time for you to wipe out the ambushing bandits."

"The payment for this mission will be doubled. It is merely a small token of appreciation, so please do not refuse. We will have to rely on all of you for the rest of the journey."

Yet his gaze fell on Neji and the bandit leader at his feet.

They had resolved it incredibly quickly!

"No need. This was within the scope of the mission, and no threat beyond the mission's rank appeared."

Neji refused the additional payment. After all, he was not someone who worked only for extra money. Of course, if enemy ninja had appeared, things would not have been so simple.

Neji's straightforward refusal made Mr. Nakata maintain his smile. With a look, he signaled the guards to deal with the bandit leader on the ground.

Neji could not be bothered with such little actions. He had merely proven that there truly were bandits.

As for what dirty dealings this man had been involved in, that was none of his business. Once they reached the mission destination, their task would be over.

Before long, Rock Lee and Tenten returned with the faint smell of blood on them.

"Have you finished dealing with them?"

Neji looked at the two, who were somewhat silent. They both nodded, though there were still a few wounds on them that they had probably failed to avoid.

"Teacher Might Guy, the danger has been dealt with. We can set off now."

"Mm! You've worked hard."

The convoy soon began moving again. It was getting late, and after passing through the valley, they began to set up camp.

A bonfire burned as soup simmered over it, filled with rabbit meat and mushrooms Neji had hunted.

Rock Lee held out his hand for Neji to change his bandages. Once the bloodied bandage was removed, a long gash could be seen on his arm. The bleeding had already stopped.

"I won't treat such a minor wound. I can't let you develop a habit of relying on treatment. You need to get used to pain."

"I understand. This is also a form of training!"

Rock Lee flashed his bright white teeth. But when Neji applied the medicine, the corner of his mouth twitched. It seemed quite painful.

After the fresh bandage was wrapped, Rock Lee drew a breath of cold air and touched the bandaged spot.

"All right, eat something. I caught a rabbit specifically to make this soup."

Neji handed him a bowl of rabbit meat. Rock Lee accepted it and took a sip, his eyes immediately lighting up as he began eating in large mouthfuls.

Neji stopped paying attention to him and went over to Tenten. A faint green glow in his hand soothed several scratches, all of which were little more than broken skin.

But they were still wounds!

They needed treatment.

"I'll treat you. During a mission, you need to stay in your best condition to face anything."

On the other side, Rock Lee, who was eating rabbit meat, stiffened with his bowl in hand. The rabbit meat in his mouth suddenly no longer tasted as good.

That's not what you said just now!

Neji felt that this was completely different.

"I told you not to let yourself get hurt. Did anyone among those people really manage to injure you?"

A hint of embarrassment flashed over Tenten's face as she said awkwardly, "Actually, I sort of injured myself. One of the hidden weapons I fired was deflected back and wounded me. I'll have to be more careful in the future!"

Neji nodded slightly, then smoothed over the final wound before bringing the rabbit meat over to Tenten.

"Eat more. You used to take care of me. This time, it's my turn to take care of you."

During the year when he had been blind, Tenten had basically taken care of him. Even afterward, things had largely remained the same. What could Rock Lee, that silly fellow, do?

He was just an experience pack!

So Neji felt nothing wrong with treating them differently. On the contrary, he was worried about Tenten.

Tenten gave a soft assent as she drank the delicious soup in her bowl, her eyes brightening slightly. It smelled wonderful.

Neither of them had much of an extreme reaction after killing someone. The ninja world was unstable, and the Academy had taught them about such things countless times.

At most, they felt slightly concerned about it, but they had no further thoughts.

Neji could not help feeling a little emotional about that. Back in his second life, he had performed far worse. He was completely inferior to them.

Suddenly, Neji's ears twitched as a faint voice entered them. It seemed to be Mr. Nakata.

"Boss, it really was that man's people this time. I've seen this leader before. There's no mistake!"

"Hmph! Just as I thought. This shipment is too important. Once it succeeds, we'll gain ninja support and will definitely be able to establish ourselves firmly in the Land of Fields."

"Congratulations, Boss!"

"Save it. We haven't reached that point yet!"

"Yes!"

Ninja support?

Those words caught Neji's attention. The Byakugan beneath his eye covering opened.

His gaze swept over the cargo. Once he clearly saw what was inside, understanding dawned on him.

These goods were all basic materials needed for research. They were not forbidden items, though. Interesting—could Orochimaru be the buyer?

In the Land of Fields, aside from Orochimaru's Otogakure, there should not be any other ninja forces, right?

Whether it was or not, perhaps he could give it a try.

He touched the scroll at his waist. Perhaps it was worth trying. It might become a channel of contact.

The status had changed, and the favorites had plummeted. It really hurt.